There are various reasons that a person may suffer from hearing loss. This can be due to aging, illness, injury, or being exposed to extremely loud noise for an extended period of time on a daily basis. For instance, many people who work in loud factories may eventually have hearing loss even if they are wearing protective covering over their ears most of the time. Hearing loss commonly comes on gradually. The loss of hearing may begin before you are even aware of it. However, if you know what early warning signs to watch for, it may be caught early enough to be treated successfully.

Trouble Hearing Conversations

One of the most common first signs of hearing loss is having trouble hearing and understanding during conversations. You may have trouble blocking out background noise so that you can hear a person speak to you clearly. The voices may sound low or muffled even if the person is talking in a normal tone in a perfectly clear manner.

You may miss certain words if there are differences in the type of pitch the person uses as he speaks to you. It may also be difficult to understand certain syllables and pronunciations if you are in the early stages of hearing loss. You may have difficulty differentiating between words that start with a "th" sound and words that start with a "ph" sound.

Trouble Hearing Male Voices

Those who are suffering from hearing loss may also find it harder to hear and understand a conversation when only a man is speaking. Men have lower, deeper voices than most women. You may be able to hear and understand a woman's voice much more clearly because it has a higher pitch.

Trouble Hearing Over a Telephone

Often, telephone conversations are very difficult for those who are losing their hearing to understand. The voice on the other side of the phone may sound very muffled or far away. You may find you are turning up the volume on a phone frequently.

Trouble Hearing a Television or Radio

If you need to increase the volume of your television or radio, this is also an early warning sign that you may be losing your hearing. Those who are suffering from hearing loss usually turn the volume on your TVs or radios up to an abnormal volume. Unfortunately, even at high volumes, the hearing may still not be at its best. 

Trouble With Reoccurring Earaches and Ringing in the Ears

Sometimes these early warning signs occur in the form of an earache or constant ringing in the ears. This is the body's signal that it is time to have your ears checked by a professional ear nose and throat specialist.

The ears may also itch, burn, or drain frequently. When this occurs, it is best to get to a physician right away.

For most people hearing loss that is discovered early, can be improved with the help of hearing aid devices. Hearing aids are worn inside the ear, in the ear canal or on the outside of the earlobe.

Many people have seen great improvement in their hearing by using these devices and they can be fitted properly by a medical hearing specialist. Tests will be performed to determine the severity of the hearing loss so that it can be treated properly. Click here for more information.